I Have to Say
by dr.marbles11
Summary: A short Tratie story about how Travis realizes his feelings for Katie and how they cope with their new relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO! I was writing a different story of mine (Collide), which features a tiny bit of Tratie, when I realized how fun it was to write about them. Thus was born I Have to Say.**

I had never realized just how pretty, no stunningly beautiful, Katie was until she lay dying next to me. It had started as a harmless game of Capture the Flag against the Hunters of Artemis. They had arrived here two days ago, but we had just gotten around to our traditional "friendly" game of Capture the Flag. Due to a previous prank pulled by yours truly, they basically hated all Hermes campers.

Katie had been absolutely furious when Annabeth put her, Conner, and I on defense. We were crouching about twenty yards from the flag when the first hunter entered the clearing in which the flag stood. We snuck up behind her and Conner hit her with the hilt of his sword. Two more hunters entered, but Katie tangled some grass around one's ankles, tripping her, and I disarmed the other easily.

I heard a branch crack behind me, and four more hunters ran towards us. We were outnumbered, the other two hunters having recovered. We started to fight, the three of us backing slowly towards the flag, protecting it. Conner fell when an older Hunter punched him.

I had just knocked out another Hunter when I saw an arrow flying at me. Thanks to my Hermes speed, I ducked before the arrow could hit me. Instead, it flew over me and hit Katie in her side where the armor didn't protect her.

She gasped looking at the arrow protruding from her side. She slipped towards the ground, and I didn't realize I had been moving towards her until I caught her.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard cheers and I briefly registered that we had one. Conner was awake by then and helped me haul an unconscious Katie towards the infirmary. The hunters watched in shock as her blood spilled onto my unfortunately white t-shirt. Conner started yelling for help, but I couldn't think straight. The only thing I could registered was all of Katie's blood on my hands.

The next half hour was a blur. Somehow, Katie ended up in the infirmary, with Will treating her wound. He said something about it being too close to her heart and broken ribs before Katie started screaming. Will called out to some other Apollo campers who came rushing over. They started talking about internal bleeding and operating, eventually deciding to give her a large amount of ambrosia, which would save her if it didn't kill her.

And so I ended up sitting by her bed trying to figure out why I couldn't get up and walk away. I played absently with the end of her curly brown hair as I contemplated my situation. The only thing I could think was I didn't want her to die before I could tell her how I felt, which was weird because I hadn't known I felt like that before she got shot.

Conner dragged my away for dinner, but I went back to check on her afterwards. She was still sleeping, but she had woken up briefly while I was gone. This made me very upset for some reason, so I hurried off to my cabin.

I woke after a dreamless sleep just in time for breakfast. After I ate a heaping plate of eggs and pancakes, I went to the infirmary to check up on Katie. She woke up just as I got there, glaring at me furiously, "What are you doing here, Stoll?" She snapped. I grinned lazily, "Oh, just checking up on my favorite person."

She rolled her eyes and swung her legs out of the bed, standing up. Her legs failed her instantly and she would have fallen had I not caught her. "Thanks." she muttered, blushing slightly. I stood her up, keeping my hands on her arms to steady her.

"I'm fine," she insisted, "I just stood up too fast and got a head rush." She took a step and winced as she moved her torso. "No, your not okay." I said stopping her, "let me help you." She looked like she was going to yell at me for a second but she just sighed in defeat, "Just don't drop a spider on my head or anything." "Who, me?" I asked innocently making her laugh lightly.

I helped Katie out of the door and towards the cabins but she looked like she was going to collapse after about twenty yards. We sat on a bench by the sword arena. "Katie, I have to tell you something." I said with some difficulty. "Ok?" she asked. I tried desperately to form my words but nothing seemed to come out, "I, well…I, um. I kinda, it's just that." I eventually gave up smacked my forehead with my palm.

Katie giggled and said, "Spit it our, Travis." My heart leapt, she always called me Stoll or "YOU JERK!" "I guess what I'm trying and failing miserably at trying to say is…I…I like you, Katie." I gulped nervously as she stared at me in shock.

**CLIFFY! I'm probably going to make this a two chapter story, next chapter from Katie's POV. More, if people want me to….**

**Adios, muchachas!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to think the Academy for this prestigious award….oh don't mind me, just practicing my best actress speech! lol. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I give it to you on a platter with cheese to go on the side!**

Katie's POV

I giggled, "Spit it out, Travis." I looked down, angry at myself for not keeping up my hatred charade by using his first name. "I guess what I'm trying and failing miserably at trying to say is…I…I like you, Katie." he muttered.

I couldn't breath. I couldn't think. I stared at Travis' boyish face in shock, trying to comprehend what he had just said. He likes me. He likes me!

I thought back to the summer after 8th grade. I had just come back to camp, and I was in my cabin when I heard some shouting outside. I looked out the window to see my younger half sister Anna chasing Travis and yelling at him about something. Travis was laughing and his hair was wet from the water Anna had thrown at him. That was the first time I felt the butterflies. I've felt them every time I looked at him since then.

Travis was still staring at me, "Katie? You okay?" I finally took a deep breath and tried to say something but all I could get out was, "I, ok…" He looked down, his face contorted in pain. He stood up, "Yeah, ok. I get it, I'm sorry, Katie." He choked out. I snapped out of it as I watched him walking away. I had liked him for three years now, since I was 14. And when he finally told me he liked me too, I couldn't even get a complete sentence out!

I ran desperately after Travis. Everything started spinning and I saw him turn around through my blurred vision before I collapsed. My head cleared a few seconds later. Travis was holding me up, his face full of concern. "Me too." I finally said. "What?" he asked. "I…I like you too." His face lit up like a little kids' on Christmas. He pulled me into a tight hug. I buried my head into his chest, inhaling him. **( Yes, because Travis is small enough to fit in Katie's nose. You know what I mean!)**

I stumbled slightly when he pulled away, but he kept his hand around my waist, supporting me. We walked slowly and silently towards the Demeter cabin, stopping in front of the door. Travis turned to me smiling, "We'll talk later, you should sleep now." He was right, I was tired. The after affects of an overdose of ambrosia include fever, exhaustion, and fainting.

Travis kissed my forehead before strolling away towards the sword arena. I stood there, dazed for a bit before I stumbled into my cabin and towards my bed.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I remember waking up to Anna telling me it was time for dinner. I felt better, so I stood up and led my cabin to dinner. We talked about little things, not discussing anything serious. After I finished eating, I hurried towards the campfire, looking for Travis. As I was walking in the dark, I heard a twig snap behind me.

"Travis?" I whispered. He strolled out from behind a tree, "Who else?" I rolled my eyes and kept walking. He laughed, jogging to catch up with me, "Oh, come on Katie." I cracked a smile briefly before spinning around towards him a grinning devilishly. "So, you said we were going to talk?" His smile changed slightly, "Yeah, we should talk."

"Okay, you start." I said, still smiling. "Ok," he said, "What am I supposed to talk about?" "I don't know, tell me how you feeeeeeel." I said jokingly. Travis chuckled and took my hand, "Will you be my girlfriend Katie?" I smiled ridiculously, "Hmm, well. I don't know…" I laughed, "Of course, you idiot!" I grinned, throwing my arms around him.

"Finally!" Someone yelled from the bushes behind us. Conner and a few other Hermes kids popped up laughing hysterically. Travis' face was as red as a tomato and I'm pretty sure mine was too. "Go away, Conner!" He whined. "Make me." Conner taunted. "Ok," I said, using my awesome Demeter powers to wind the bushes around them and send the gliding over the trees.

Travis turned back to me and smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. He moved closer to me, so that we were just barely touching and his hands rested on my hips. My arms snaked around his shoulder before he leaned down and kissed me.

Although this was not my first kiss, it was the first one that made me feel light headed and giddy. We pulled apart and he rapped his arm around my waist, leading me back to the cabins.

We walked slowly and peacefully. "Hey Travis," I asked, "When did you start to like me." He looked out into the darkness for a moment before replying, "I always had a bit of a crush on you, but I really realized it when you got shot." I nodded, watching in fascination as his expression that had been so light only moments ago turned sad and almost desperate.

"What about you?" He asked, distracting me. "Summer after eight grade." I replied. "Wow," he looked shocked, "three years ago. You should have said something earlier." I grinned, "I'm pretty sure you would have laughed at me three years ago." He shrugged, "Eh, probably." I laughed quietly, watching Conner untangling himself from a bush.

I didn't want to go into my cabin when we arrived there. I wanted tonight to last forever. He turned to face me, "Just 'cause we're dating, do I have to stop pranking your cabin?" he said, pleadingly. "No, but I get to punish you more now!" I said, crossing my arms. He smiled, kissed me quickly, and darted off into the night. "Goodbye." I whispered.

**YIPPY! End of the world today! My theory is the world will end when the last time zone reaches midnight! Anyway, if the world continues, should I keep writing this story? It's a pretty good stopping point here, but I can keep writing, and morph it into an actual plot it you wants. Let me know! REVIEW FOR THE WINZ!**


End file.
